Update – 11 February 2026: The Federal Aviation Administration has lifted the temporary flight restriction over El Paso International Airport, hours after announcing a 10-day closure.

US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the airspace restriction was imposed following what he described as a “cartel drone incursion”. According to administration officials, cited by The Associated Press, the US military disabled the drones and determined there was no ongoing threat to commercial aviation.

The FAA confirmed that flights have resumed and that there is “no danger to commercial travel in the region.”

The temporary restriction had halted all commercial, cargo and general aviation flights, raising concerns over potential disruption to cross-border trade in one of the busiest US–Mexico corridors.

The FAA announced a 10 day closure of El Paso’s airspace and then abruptly lifted the restriction as reports claim the advisory was due to Mexican cartel drones. https://t.co/9BiJvWKhtS

— New York Magazine (@NYMag) February 11, 2026

Initial closure announcement

All flights to and from El Paso International Airport were temporarily suspended after the US Federal Aviation Administration imposed a security-related flight restriction over the area.

The order, which also covered nearby Santa Teresa, New Mexico, applied to commercial, cargo and general aviation traffic and initially designated the airspace as national defence airspace. The restriction, which took effect late on 10 February, was originally expected to remain in place for 10 days.

However, the FAA later lifted the temporary flight restriction, confirming there was no ongoing threat to commercial aviation and that normal operations had resumed.

El Paso International Airport had stated that the restriction was issued on short notice, halting all arrivals and departures, including freight operations.

The temporary suspension drew attention due to El Paso’s role as a regional logistics hub closely linked to cross-border manufacturing activity in northern Mexico. Operations have since resumed following confirmation that the security threat had been neutralised.

Air Cargo Week has contacted relevant cargo operators for comment on any operational impact during the brief closure.

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